The Stasis Project
by Cyrus Campbell
Summary: Finn has always wondered about his existence. When the past reveals his identity, he must make a choice. Stay with the ones he loves or the ones he wants to love. All the while, one man's imagination tugs at the strings, creating clouds of discord.
1. Prologue

The Stasis Project: An Adventure Time Fiction

Prologue

"_In the dark recesses of the mind, a disease known as FEAR feasts upon the souls of those who cannot overcome its power…And so fear is forced deep within the soul of a hero. Conquered…at least, for now."_

_~Pat McHale_

"_Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."_

_~Helen Keller_

_Nearly two centuries has passed since the war. And oh, what a war. The land in which you live was once the greatest of all lands. The inhabitants of the land came from all races, all walks of life. There was harmony, joy. There was peace. Nevertheless, as many know and as all must understand, all things must end._

_The nations of this_ _world were crumbling. All they had were their guns. They used for no other reason than to take. Eventually, it came to be that there was one solution that had been used only once before._

_The Mushroom Bombs_

_The detonation of the mushroom bombs was all it took. The dust settled and the tallies were counted. All the previous weapons were destroyed and abandoned, leaving empty streets with broken tanks and broken homes. The kingdoms were sufficiently destroyed, wiped of the face off the Earth. Eventually, the world became a better place, a kinder place. One could say a perfect place_

_Now, we turn to your race, the Humans. Objectors to the entire war, they tried to remain calm as tanks and troops circled the land. They were peaceful but considered by many today as the lowest of creatures. Unintelligent, unclean, uninteresting. Today, many consider humans a delicacy._

_They had their opinions, their dreams. Vanquished by those who wished to control. The select few that fought to seek peace were known as rebels. Together, they began to occupy the world in peace. They chanted, sang, went to their government and cried out, "Stop what you are doing and listen." Though there was no stopping the kings. When the bombs were dropped, every single Human in the land was affected._

_Initial estimates put the death toll at five million Humans, gone in an instant. The survivors became half-breeds from the radiation sickness. Regardless of who lived and who died, the Humans went into hiding and for years, have not been seen. _

_Only recently were you discovered in a forest by two Dogs. You were smelly, yes, but still a human. A pure Human, the only one of your kind. Just a babe too. _

_The Dogs were going to eat you but they recently had lunch and thus you were saved. Now you the adventurer have been given a second chance. You have befriended the Dog child of your saviors and are now the best of buds. Of course, you were just a child so you are not going to remember a thing I tell you about the war but hey, deal, okay? The question is, will you seek to explain the deaths of your ancestors or will you seek noble justice and align the kingdoms of Ooo, now the princessdoms, into complete and utter peace?_

_What will you do?_

"I will eat this everything burrito, three minutes! Bllliiiiindfolded."  
>"And I will bet sixty coins of my treasure that you can-<em>not…<em> schnarf that thing down."  
>"what you say?"<br>"I say, YOU CAN'T SCHNARF THAT BAD BOY!"  
>"Oh yeah?"<br>"Yeah."  
>"Then lay dat money down."<br>"Oh-ho-ho. It is on like ping-pong."  
>"I say it is on like lemon."<br>"It's on like CROUTON!"  
>"IT'S ON LIKE…"<br>"You gonna eat the burrito or what? It's getting cold."  
>"Oh, oh yeah."<br>"Ready?"  
>"One sec. Got to get the blindfold on."<br>"Can you see anything?  
>"Nil."<br>"Now you ready?"  
>"Born"<br>"Then…ROCK AND ROLL!"

Finn the Human attacked the burrito with all the ferocity of the mightiest beasts. Despite being blindfolded, he easily located the glorious Mexican dish. Ground beef, cheese, bacon, egg, strawberries, chicken, tomatoes, cereal, jalapeño peppers, pickles, jelly, peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream, and all consortium of ingredients flew every which way. He poked further into the giant dish and swallowed down all the ingredients. All of them.

"Cough-buhah-coughhhha. Jake!" Finn exclaimed, head out of dish and covered in five types of meat. In his right hand, he was holding a saliva-covered spatula. "I though I said no spatulas or frying pans! As much as I'd like to eat _everything, _it's just not happening. So before I eat anything else, are there anymore surprises?"

His friend, Jake the Dog, looked closely at the burrito. With all certainty, he replied "There may be one or two forks in there. But dude, you got two minutes and I ain't digging in that burrito. So try not to stab your esophagus."

"Somds guut." replied Finn, now back in the burrito. Jake turned his back, ticking down the seconds and still trying to perfect his "turn-that-frown-upside-down" belly trick. All the while, the challenge got smaller and smaller.

Jake, in frustration, gave up on his belly and looked at the wristwatch he carried around. "Okay dude. You got thirty seconds left so you ca-ca-ca-can-na-na-naawhoa." Finn, in his glorious triumph, just sat there. He was now three times his regular size and polishing off the last of the burrito. The chair he sat in was broken. In a large and booming voice, he belched out, "SUP JAKE?"

"Uhmm, dude. You win."

"YEAH, I KNOW, RIGHT? I WAS ALL, 'YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME BURRITO? I DON'T THINK SO. YOU CAN JUST LET ME EAT YOU.' AND THAT'S HOW IT WENT."

Finn shifted his weight and stood up, floor creaking and stomach a-sloshing. "PAY UP, JAKE." The dog begrudgingly handed over the sixty coins and looked up at the chubby cheeks of his best friend, covered in all kinds of stuff. His eyes squinting with pride, he spoke "You know what. I'm alright paying up just to see my best bud so huge. Now, come here man." Stretching his arms, he gave Finn a good ol' bear hug.

A third voice arrived on the scene. "Finn, Jake, I looked in your beds. Couldn't find…GREAT STONKIN' CYCLOPS! Finn, you are HUGE!" Jake and Finn looked at their roommate Beemo and just started cracking up. Jake said it best with, "Oh, Beemo, you know just what to say."


	2. A Conversation Between Two Doctors

Part I : Uncommon Occurrences

"_Echos of past events  
>Nudge the tiller on<br>My present course  
>I await it's reflection<br>In the future"  
>~ Scorcher<em>

_"No one would have believed...that human affairs were being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own...Yet, across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."  
>~H.G. Wells<em>

Chapter 1: A Conversation Between Two Doctors

_The wind howled outside the window of the doctor's study. There he was in bleached lab coat and steamed khakis, sipping his imported Earl Grey in a fashion most calm. Back arched into an easy chair, he thought of his progress. Only one day left before the world saw his genius. The doctor's eyes darted to the left and right. All his scientific tomes, perfectly arranged, not one out of place. His life's collection, his life's work before him._

_It all started with a dream and he thought, ironically, it will end with a dream. The subjects would at last be released and tell their stories. Soon, the world would flock to his creation, dying for just one chance to have all their fantasies alive. It was perfect._

_He stood from his chair and turned to face the window that covered the south wall. The rain pelted onto the streets below. People had retreated into their cozy little hideaways, like rats escaping the trapper. Eyes closing in a slow blink, he thought what the project could do for these people. No more death, no more famine, no more financial woes. No more rain to spoil parades._

_He returned to his desk, scanning the folders. Three of the subjects had met expectations, easily creating a bond with their interactions. Though the problem remained that because this was a game, Subject D had the possibility of being eliminated from the equation. Also, Subject C had showed relatively minor progress, all thanks to the AI. Had the plan gone without hitch, Subject C would be perfectly integrated with the other subjects. But no, it was that battle that increased the flight response in Subject C and nearly ruined the experiment. Good thing she was eliminated from the equation as soon as possible._

_Then there were Subjects A and B. Perfect symbiosis. Perfect test subjects. It was always good when something was perfect. But this…exceeded all expectations._

_Suddenly the door to the study burst open with a BHOOM, making the doorstop vibrate with concussion. A man in a lab coat identical to the one the good doctor in the easy chair wore, curtly paced towards the desk, his coat unbuttoned revealing a Ralph Lauren dress shirt. The doctor looked directly in to the eyes of the newcomer in a half-hearted sense, hand unfurled and upon forehead. The desk lamp illuminated the round rimmed glasses of the man as he placed his palms upon the desk, sternness in the contracted pupils, his dark brown hair showing signs of a receding hair line, combed and yet disheveled and out of place._

"_Genico, where is my son? You promised me they would return in one day. That was five days ago. So where are they?"_

_Dr. Jasper Genico replied with a cold stare and a half-handed response. "Dr. Smith, I am sorry for this inconvenience, but in this day and age, research is research. They need more time."_

_To this, Dr. Simon Smith nearly choked his superior, thinking carefully on how he could dispose of a body. This rage simply expelled through gritted teeth as Smith choked, "Genico…"_

_Genico stood up and pointed his cane directly at Simon's nose. "Need I remind you, Smith, that I hold more than just your job in the balance. I hold your job, your paycheck, your reputation. Your son."_

_Simon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Never had Dr. Genico been so… so… brutal. "Are you using my little boy as a bargaining chip? I'm pretty sure that is against the law."_

"_is it Simon? Is it?"_

_Simon went for his cellphone in his labcoat. Ripping it out, he flipped it open, the screen lighting quietly in the expanse of relative darkness. With all conviction, he cried "I could call the police right now!"_

_Genico, realizing his fun had turned serious, merely chuckled and with a warm grin on his face said, "I get you every time, Smith. But really, there is no need for theatrics" Taking his arm around Simon, Genico spoke now like a close friend. "However, your patience has paid off. In regards to your family, he will be released tomorrow."_

_Smith looked away to the tomes of Genico's library. They stared like eyes down at the two, noticing every detail of the conversation._

_"How can I trust you, Genico?"_

_"Because now is the absolute perfect time to release. And you know how I absolutely love perfection." _

_"Will you at least let me see him?"_

_"Of course. You should know by now I don't bite, Simon. All you have to do is ask." With that, Genico went to his desk and, grabbing a remote from a locked drawer, pressed the large green button at the top. A small holgraphic screen illuminated in mid-air, showing Simon his son. He looked into his face with lament. Sure, the screen had been shown to him before. Yet, it still felt like he hadn't seen the child in five years. Simon looked deeper into face. His little boy seemed so happy, so full of life. Perhaps it was because Simon never took full part in the project that he couldn't understand. Then he realized. _We're going to be a family again.

_The phone rang in Simon's hand. It was his wife. Slowly tapping the green button, he lifted the phone to his ear and spoke._

_"Hey...I'm at work...I needed to take care of one last thing. Hey, great news, he's coming home tomorrow...I'm looking at him right...Just the way you left him...Listen honey, can you save the dinner? I'll be...working late. We need to be ready when he comes out. I love you...Yes, I'll tell him...Goodbye._

_Simon tapped the phone's off button and looked once more at him. _Are you ready Alan? Or is it I who need to be ready?

_Genico, standing at the window, saw the rain begin to dissapate. The sun peaked through the grey, grey clouds. And it was perfect._


	3. Strangers in Ooo

Chapter 2: Strangers in Ooo

As the ninth hour tolled, our intrepid duo, dressed and ready to face the day, exited their home with all haste. Jake turned his head to face his comrade. "So Finn how did you get all normal weighty again?  
>"The uzh."<br>"Oh that make sense." After walking a bit more, Jake turned once again and said, "Uhm, what is the uzh?"  
>"Well, you go in the bedroom and you do this with your hips," Finn motioning with a hip shimmy akin to a hula hoop spin, "and then you..."<p>

"UGH! WHY DID YOU EVEN TOUCH THE MAGIC PANCAKE MIX?

"WELL I WASN'T THE ONE WHO READ THE SOUFFLE RECIPIE BACKWARDS!"

"Jake, do you hear that?"

"I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED ALL FUNNY LIKE! GNIFFUTS DAERB FO SPUC OWT! THAT'S FUNNY!"

"Let's check it out, Jake."

"I'm with you bro."

Finn and Jake climbed a hill overlooking a small valley. Ever so slightly, they tiptoed as to not alert the two strangers. Lying down in the grass, they spied from a crest at the top of the valley. A blue bird and some kind of brown animal were standing next to a box of pancake mix, arguing over some conflict.

The blue bird spoke in a ferocious tone, "Look, when I said don't read it I MEANT DO NOT READ THE RECIPIE BACKWARDS!"

The brown thing said "WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE..." but the bird interrupted.

"Wait, dude. Where are we?"

"I don't kn...whoa"

The two travelers gazed in awe at the land of Ooo. Their gazes looked past all time and space in a strange and myriad mixture of absolute euphoria and sheer terror. After they had sufficiently gazed towards the land, they looked at each other. The bird sighed and whispered ever so loudly, "Benson is going to murder us."

Finn had seen enough. It was obvious the two were in distress, so like any normal adventurer, he climbed ever so silently over the hill only to be grabbed and thrown to the ground. Finn screamed but was silenced quickly by a hand.

Jake stood above the body of his friend. "Man, what are you doing? You don't know who these guys are." he spoke as his arms recoiled. "They could have whacked-out poo brains."

"I know. but it seems they need our help."

"Just be careful Finn. You remember what happened last t-"

"Hey, whatcha' talking about?"

Finn screamed in his trademark girlcry and jumped into Jake's arms. The bird and brown thing were crouching right behind him.

Jake stared them square in the eye and spoke in a deliberate tone, "How long were you two watching us?"

The bird returned his glare. "Who wants to know?"

Finn, being a gentleman, choked out, obviously still traumatized, "My na-name is Finn and th-th-this iss-s-s Jake."

The bird softened up. "Finn. Jake. Cool names. Not why we're here. Where are we, anyway?"

Finn stood up and with a flourish and sparkle in his eye, he proclaimed, "Why you're in...THE LAND OF OOO!"

The brown thing trembled. "Mordecai, I don't like this. I saw a movie like this once. Pretty soon, there's going to be midgets climbing all over the place and then a fairy is going to come out of nowhere saying we killed someone and I DON'T LIKE WHEN THE WITCH SHOWS UP I'M A GOOD BOY, MOMMY!"

"I thought you took care of your problem in therapy!" The blue bird shouted. "Don't mind Rigby, he has special issues."

"Well, Mordecai and Rigby, you seem distressed. I'll have you know that I am a skizzow ADVENTURER!" Finn cried with light radiating from every orifice of his body.

"That's...great. We just want to get back home. We'll just be going then."

"Wait, I can help you get back to your land."

Mordecai just looked at him like that one meme that goes ME GUSTA except he was no ME GUSTA. He just wanted to get out of loopy land before Benson found out they trashed the living room and tried to make dinner as an apology which then led to more trashing of the kitchen...

Meanwhile, Rigby was still curled up à la fetal position, sucking his thumb.

Finally, it was Jake, of all people, that suggested, "If you came this way by reading some recipe backwards, just do the same thing."

"Actually, that's a solid idea." said Mordecai.

Rigby decided to jump back into the conversation with, "I agree as well." which led to many affirmative "hmms" on their part.

"Wait, before you go," Finn said, "promise us you'll adventure with us if you come back. You seem like cool guys."

"O-kay." Mordecai eked out reluctantly. With a handshake, Mordecai and Rigby took off for the pancake mix box.

Before they reached it, however, Mordecai turned around. "You guys are weird!"

To which Rigby said, "And not in the good way!"

To which they both shouted, "OOH!" but in a longer sense. It seemed to go on for days

And with a GNIFFUTS DAERB FO SPUC OWT, the two were gone.

Finn and Jake just kinda looked at each other. The human really just was confused when he said, "Who were those guys?"

Jake, in a sad tone, asked "And why did call us weird?" sniff-sniff "They're the WEIRD ones!"

"I hear ya bro. We are totally normal. Now I think it's time to go dance in the Valley of the Rainicorns while the Punch Bowl plays a waltz on the harp and we slay ogres!"

Jake cheered up like an anime schoolgirl. "Just like we planned it!"

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*Author's Note:

I assure you that is not the last we have seen of Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show. While this chapter seems quite mundane and silly compared to the tone of the last two chapters, there are quite a few payoffs in the end that are tied with this show. So bear that in mind. The next chapter will be quite good. I promise.

Now, I just need to get this out of the way. Basic trademarks agreements to cover my assets, if you know what I mean.

This is a fan-based fiction of the ADVENTURE TIME universe.

ADVENTURE TIME is owned by Pendleton Ward, Cole Sanchez, Cartoon Network Studios, and Frederator Productions.

REGULAR SHOW is owned by J.C. Sanchez, Mike Roth, John Infantino, and Cartoon Network Studios.

All other registered shows are owned by their creators, creative directors and subsequent studios.

All Original Characters (OCs) and the original story are owned by Cyrus Campbell (pseudonym). Any unregulated use of OCs by a third party is strictly prohibited and will result in possible action by Cyrus Campbell and this site. Third parties DO NOT include those at Cartoon Network Studios and Frederator Studios. Use of OCs is, therefore, allowed by the former parties. Use of story will require permission from Cyrus Campbell. Terms and Conditions are not to be specifically stated at this point.

THE STASIS PROJECT is distributed by this site which is owned by the admins. THE STASIS PROJECT follows all terms of service as stated by this site.

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	4. Hippocratic Code

Chapter 4: Hippocratic Code

"정말 미안 해요, 핀과 제이크,하지만 그것은 펀치의 그릇입니다 사람 같은데 자신의 믹스에 너무 많은 얼음을 추가하고 절대적으로 형편없는 추워서 내려 왔어요. 아무 괴물 사냥하지 오늘."

"What did she say Jake?"

"Well, Lady said we can't have the ogre slaying today because Punch Bowl came down with a cold." With a whispered side comment, Jake added, "Put a bit too much ice in the mix."

"Jank, man. So what do we do now?"

"Maybe we could just adventure. You with us Lady?"

"나는에 핀과 제이크를 사랑하지만, 지난번 무슨 일이 생긴 건지 기억 것입니다. 난 여전히 못생기고 티파니가 얼마나 사실을 못 잊는 것도!"

Jake shook his head as an indication of no, and began to try and give suggestions.

His first was swiftly dispatched as were the following sugestions. "Well, we could always hang out with PB...no wait, she's practicing with the whistling choir."  
>"How about Marceline?" inquired Finn.<br>"Finn, you know how I feel about vampires. Still haven't gotten completely over my fear. Plus, I think she's out for the day."  
>"Uhm...LSP?"<br>"You're really wanna go there?"  
>"계피 롤빵?"<br>"Hahaha! Lady, you're hilarious! Oh, you're serious."  
>"Well, what do you want to do?"<p>

Jake looked blankly and just fell down. "You know, I'm cool with sittin' on the grass, lookin' at the clouds and hanging with you."

Finn was not down with that. "C'mon man. I didn't eat an everything burrito not expecting to have energy. I'm ready to go, run a mile, swim with alligators, climb a mountain, fight a rabid chipmunk, anything!"

Finn didn't need to go any further. Fleeing across the light baby blue sky was a large blue figure, carrying a cage that held something. It would not take an intelligent man to realize that the figure the indeed the Ice King with a princess as his captive.

The duo looked as the figure flew towards the Ice Kingdom, cackling a evil laugh whilst spraying his ice magic throughout the land.

Finn grabbed Jake by the paw. "Heads up, Jake. We've got Ice King trouble."

"I hear ya man. And I was so excited for some kind of day off. Just say it and let's get this over."

"Alright, so WHAT TIME IS IT?"

ADVENTURE TIME!

With a stretch and a gallop, a giant Jake and Finn as his rider triumphed towards the Ice Kingdom.

"행운을 빌어요 두 ... 내가 왜 기분이 뭔가를 제대로하지 있나요?"

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Amidst the snow and ice, Finn and Jake hid, surveying the scene. Jake was rummaging in Finn's backpack while it was still on his body, much to the latter's chagrin.

"Jake, I told you for the last time. I-don't-Have-ANy-FOOD!"

"But I'm starving Finn. You know how I get when I'm starving. It's like my stomach is this giant black hole that constantly sucks things in and if I don't fill it, it will fold in upon itself and in time, it will create a rift in the time-space continuum, causing all of Ooo to fall into a alternate dimension!

Finn lowered the binoculars he was using. "That is by far the smartest and dumbest thing I have ever heard you say."

Jake looked over Finn's shoulder via neck stretch and saw the Ice King's lair. "So who's the princess du jour?"

"It's...that's weird."

"What?" said Jake.

Finn looked one again through the binoculars just to confirm what he was seeing. "It's Doctor Princess."

"Isn't she the one who really isn't a princess?"

"Yeah, and we kind of established that fact with Ice King already. Well, I think the surveillance part is done. Let's start our reconnese-reconno-recoco...Let's do this thing!"

Together, the two slowly crawled closer to the mountain. Left shimy, right shimy, left shimy, right. All seemed to be going quite well until they heard a familiar tone that was akin to a duck. But Fin and Jake knew it was no duck.

"Quack."

It was a penguin.

"Gunter, shush!" whispered Jake, trying so hard to quite the bird.

"Quack, quack quack."

"GUNT-"

"Gunter, what are you doing out there? Come in for lunch."

Gunter the penguin walked back into the lair, following the Ice King's voice and the promise of food. Inside, the Ice King had prepared a delicacy in the Ice Kingdom. Snow rice cakes in a snow sauce, a sushi sampler of snow rolls, snow potatoes with snow sour cream (emphasis on the snow) and a bowl of snow pudding. Which he would wash down with a glass of ice water (emphasis on the ice). Today, he had prepared a second meal for his guest, Doctor Princess. Like all the other times, the fair damsel had been tied to something or imprisoned. A dinner chair (of ice) would serve as the ghastly dungeon. Her time in the slammer gave her time to muddle things over which she expressed bluntly to her captor.

"Soooo, what's it like being a sociopathic princess napper?"

The Ice King had just begun on the potatoes when he set his spoon down. "I can tell there is tension on your mind. Is the food to your liking? You haven't touched it."

"That's because you're crazy. Is this honestly some sort of sick joke you like to pull? I don't understand."

The Ice King folded his hands and contemplated, "You know, I've been lonely for many a year now. No human has lived long enough to see my rise of power. I can't find anyone except for Finn."

"Oh yeah, the daring adventurer. Come to think of it, he should be here soon. Really, honestly, have you even considered the fact that you weren't meant to be with anyone?"

The Ice King jumped. "I LOVED ONCE!"

Doctor Princess, with a sly smile, tried to push him for information. "So, you loved someone. Who was it?"

The Ice King got all tizzy and blushed like a christmas ornament. 'OH you, Doctor Princess, stop it. Yes, there is someone I love very much. And that person is...

"Quack."

"...And that person i-"

"Quack"

"That"

Quack

"Per"

Quack

"Sonis"

Quack

"GUNTER!"

Doctor Princess looked at him with the look that one gives to a naked juggler who tosses kumquats and deadly cobras for a living. Sheer disbelief (unless you have a penchant for naked jugglers who toss reptiles and fruit).

"You love your penguin."

"Yes, it's true. No matter what Gunter does, I can't stay mad at her. She's all I've got."

"I meant more...I don't know...human love."

"Oh. Well, you see, there, was this one girl and was she the best. I could tell you the story if you have time."

Doctor Princess just realized she had made a critical mistake. She was getting sucked into a sob story about the Ice King's girlfriend. _Finn, Jake, where are you?"_

The Ice King cleared his throat and began his tale. "Long ago, in a lovely town called..."

Suddenly, the window blasted open in shards of ice. Finn and Jake were here at last, come to save Doctor Princess.

"Ah yes, a bit late but here when I need you." sighed Doctor Princess. "Just get me out of here."

The Ice King was, as usual, not pleased. "Finn, Jake, you interrupted my conversation and you broke my window. Seriously, who does that?"

Jake kind of held back his initial attack stance, confused. "You do it. To us. On a regular basis. Along with other damages. We should totally send you a bill."

The Ice King flew into a rage. "OVER MY DEAD BODY!" he cried as he zapped icicles at the heads of his attackers. Jake dodged with fair ease, using his stretching powers to avoid the majority of projectiles. With the others, he seemed to swallow them like rock candy.

"It feels so cold and painful and yet it fills my stomach! ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Finn had a little trouble dodging the attacks of the Ice King, trying to keep his eyes on Doctor Princess while avoiding the Ice King's barrage. A quick jump, a strafe, it was all he could do. Avoid, avoid, avoid the attacks.

He began to realize this battle had began to take its toll on his initial stamina. At one moment, he was running. The next, he was falling. Sliding across the slick floor of ice. In the direction of Doctor Princess. "Doctor, look out!" he managed to scream just as he was about to smack right into her. The doctor jumped over him.

Just as Ice King launched his attack at a prone Finn.

The blast did not find its mark. The blast struck the arm of Doctor Princess. She cried out in a wail of agony. The fight stopped.

At this point, the Ice King, who had been flying around the room, descended to the ground. "Princess! Are you hurt? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! It was an accide-"

FWISH

With one swoop of the sword, Finn attacked the Ice King, slashing his beard. The hair fell to the floor. As did the Ice King.

Finn, battle weary and and panting, stood above the Ice King. "When will you learn? WHY CAN'T YOU STOP?"

The Ice King, however, was clearly traumatized by the accident. In a immediate response, his beard grew back but in a clearly mussed up way. He began to cough from weakness. "Hnguuh. Please, no more."

"Out of my way!" screamed Doctor Princess. She pushed the two adventurers out of her way. "Finn, you really could have hurt him."

Finn could not understand the empathy Doctor Princess had for the old man who lay at their feet. "Doctor Princess, we should get you out of h-"

"NO, Finn. He has obviously suffered enough. What he needs now is medical attention. I'm the only doctor around for miles. I can't leave him here. If I do, it will go against everything I stand for."

"Doctor-"

"If you want go, then go."

Finn looked at Jake and the dog slowly nodded his head. Together, they walked slowly out of the lair of the Ice King.

Doctor Princess began her treatment as the two left. She grabbed her medical bag. Luckily, it hadn't fallen out of her grasp when the Ice King trapped her. She began the analyze the situation. Gunter shuffled up next to her only friend. She hugged his head not with force like she usually did. This time, it was with compassion.

"Thank you, Gunter." choked out the Ice King.

"Don't talk, sir. I'm just going to look at your injuries. Is it okay if I cut your beard? Grunt yes, grunt twice no. Do so slowly."

*grunt*

"Will you make sure it doesn't grow back?"

*grunt"

With that grunt, Doctor Princess sliced off his beard with one clean cut.

"Oh glob."

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Author's Notes

So, this is where the plot really begins to take off. At the worst possible time. From this moment forward, updates will be less than regular as I now need to write them out. These four chapters were previously written for the story. Thus, less Stasis Project. Sad face :( But good news. I got a shiny new MacBook Pro. It's so much faster than anything else I had before. Also, I promise that Stasis Project will continue until the end. Unless of course unforeseen circumstances hamper the progress. Like I die or suddenly get swamped with schoolwork during the spring semester. Something of that nature.


	5. Hey Marceline

Chapter 5: Hey Marceline

As Jake walked quietly along the path with his dear friend, his mind began to wander in the direction of the fate of the Ice King.

"Finn, do you think we were too hard on Ice King?"

To which the human spun to face Jake "What? Are you balappin' man? Ice King _captured_ Doctor Princess and _held her prisoner_! I think we got our point across."

"Yeah, you're probably right" and Jake continued walking.

Though Finn could not shake the feeling he was forgetting something. Perhaps it was the excitement, perhaps it was the light air, addling his brains, perhaps.

"Oh glob. I forgot! Jake, I need to go. If you could head to the treehouse and pick up some things."

"Sure man. What do you need?"

Finn gave Jake an extensive list of items, including a waffle iron, a toothbrush, a watering can, a puma, a dead radio, three sonnets, a jack-in-the-box and that picture of Finn eating a salmon only to find out it was LSP's breakfast, lunch and dinner when she still lived in the woods. This list was one that Jake could not possibly remember due to the number of items. With that, Finn ran off, spiriting his way across the land of Ooo. In his mind, he had to convince himself that lying to Jake was the best alternative. The list was fake, the errand was one of a fool and the reason was simple. He needed to remove himself from Jake in order to prepare for the latter's birthday party!

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Finn made his way to the dark woods to the east of the treehouse. The first guest he needed to invite was Marceline. Of course, his recent escapades had led to an embarrassing situation. One he would have liked to forget.

As he near the beach style home within the cavern, Finn could hear a loud bass guitar slamming chords to the tune of a sprinting bear, frothing at the mouth. With this bass, it was joined by a cacophonic banshee guitar, a blood-soaked drum set and vocals of the deadset midnight. What scared Finn, however, was that Marceline was playing without him of Jake or Princess Bubblegum or Beemo. Had she forgotten about them already?

Finn clacked on the door, waiting for an answer. A shake of the head here, a turn of the head there. Had anyone heard the knocking? The music was pretty loud, even for Finn's tastes. He went to clack again only to find that the music had stopped and the door was open. Standing in the doorway was a male vampire. His hair was mussed up, a sort of straight wiriness to the locks. His wore jeans of faded black and a deep maroon sweater, something that Marceline might actually wear.

This new vampire floated above Finn with a nonchalant aire, like he was trying to imitate a bat suspended in midair. With a turn of the head, he yelled at the house's owner. "Yo Marcie! We got a warmblooded in our midst!"

"I'm coming! Glob, it's like there's no patience anymore!"

Marceline came to the door. She was dressed in a black gothic dress, lace fringe covering the bottom edge of the hem. Her bite marks looked especially red tonight. "Hey Finn. Why are you here?"

It was no use. His mind cursed him again with the images.

"M-m-m-marceline, I'm h-here to invite y-y-y-yo-yo-ou to came to Jake's b-b-b-b-irth-th-th-d-d-d-d-day party. It's impor-t-t-t-t-t-tant you show up and he would be really di-di-disappointed and..."

"Woah there, tiger. Slow down. You sound like you haven't seen the light of day. Of course I'll come to the little guy's birthday party."

"Really? That's slamacow! I need to get go-"

"But, " Marceline snidely spoke, "my band has to play a set."

"Oh yeah, that'll be cool."

"Marcie, when your done talking to your boyfriend, we would like to get back to practicing." said the vampire in the maroon sweater.

"Cyrus, I hear one more word out of your that isn't your sexy singing voice and you will taste dog food for a week! Come inside for a bit, Finn. We got this great new song we're working on."

"No, I should _really_ get going. I still have Prin-"

Somehow, Finn found himself on the couch, being introduced to the members of the band.

Marceline motioned with her hand to the vampire who had answered the door. "Finn, this is Cyrus. He's my second-cousin's stepbrother thrice removed who is also my uncle's auto repair man. I know it sounds weird but vampire geneology gets that way. He's also lead guitar and lead singer."

Cyrus floated up to Finn's face and shook his hand. Like ice. "Pleased to meet you, Finn...uh...Marce, this is the really ugly goblin you were talking about, right? 'Cause he sure looks human to m-"

A yank was felt on Finn's arm by "Marce" as she dragged him from suspicion. "AND, Finn, this is Gregor, our drummer."

"AWESOME TO MEET YOU, FINN! WE WERE JUST JAMMIN' BUT MAN, WE NEEDED A GIG!

Finn just looked onward in utter puzzlement. This vampire, unlike any he had ever seen, seemed very...energetic...for a blood sucking creature of the night.

"Confused? I can tell. Don't worry. All drummers are like that."

"And this is Aleks, our keyboardist. He recently moved to Ooo from the Nightosphere. Didn't you, my little ball of sunshine?"

Alexs seemed very mellow indeed in an all black outfit. "Whatever."

Marceline walked over to her amp, tuning her bass as well as she could. "Finn, I want your honest opinion on this song. We've worked really hard on it."

"Oh, okay."

Marceline stood at her microphone and counted out "Set 1 2 3 4" as Cyrus prepared to release his beautiful melody upon the ears of Finn the human, a melody which no mortal man, be he beast or bird, could stand because of it's fantastical glory. At least this is what Cyrus believed.

Unlike the initial grungefest that was the earlier song, this song was a moving ballad of sorts. Indeed, this was a love song.

The guitar and keyboards were fairly simply to begin the song as they danced about their notes like tiny pixies amidst the rain. Finn felt a wave of calm embrace him. Ho could they change so quickly from that loud noise from earlier? Then it began.

_I roam about these woods looking for your smile,  
>But you won't show it; I think<em> This might take a while_.  
><em>_The bats and wolves and rats are sitting at your side  
>So when comes to people, you turn around and hide.<em>

_And all your thoughts and promises are looking to be true  
>Then I take a glance at them and they're splitting me in two<br>I don't care about your hair, don't care about your fang.  
>For whom the bells tolls, well, for you it loudly rang.<em>

_Hey Marceline  
>Hey Marceline I said<br>__He-ey Mar-celine_

_You say you can't go out because the sun, it burns  
><em>_So your singin' to the moon and the stars as the world turns.  
><em>_Everyone who knows you says the world can't be the same  
><em>_Because you look upon with untrained eyes and soul that's bright aflame._

_All the girls behind your back play a game of talk and say  
>Are you a princess in disguise or the girl who hates the day?<br>Don't worry about either way 'cause you're the biggest trip  
>Just be glad that your not trapped inside the Ice King's grip<em>

__Hey Marceline  
>Hey Marceline I said<br>__He-ey Mar-celine__

__When I looked into you eyes  
>I saw past all your alibis<br>You say you're playing with the boys  
>At night you whisper so much noise<em>_

__Just remember even though you don't feel love  
>There's a preacher in the sky shining from above<br>__

__Hey Marceline  
>Hey Marceline I said<br>__He-ey Mar-celine__

__Your daddy knows me; he doesn't like it when I'm around  
>So I'm asking just one time place don't make a sound<br>I got a hundred gold coins in my pocket; I'll show them to you here they are  
>With these, I'm gonna buy myself a dream, reach up and touch the stars<em>_

__There's been a rumor sayin' you don't know what to do  
>So here's my ultimatum; I'll send it from me to you<br>Do you want to stand still and see the same-old same-old scene  
>Or would take my hand for the promised, what do you say Marceline?<em>_

__Hey Marceline  
>Hey Marceline I said<br>__He-ey Mar-celine I said  
><em>____He-ey Mar-celine___

__Hey Marceline__

With the last utterances from Cyrus, Finn could not comprehend what he had just heard. A long song? For Marceline?

Cyrus took a bow for the one man crowd and spoke that question that each musician will ask _at least_ _once _in his lifetime (as Cyrus was a vampire, this was number now 26,578).

"So? What did you think?"

Finn, still trying to grasp the magnitude, suddenly looked at Marceline and nearly fainted when his brain betrayed him again with the memories of her...her...I don't wanna go there.

"Uhm...good?"

When a musician asks the "what did you think" question, this is not the answer they want. This is the complete opposite of what they want.

Cyrus' eye twitched a bit in a craze; without warning and with all the ferocity and grace of a chainsaw-wielding ballerina, he turned into...something...meant to attack Finn.

"GOOD? GOOD? I SLAVE OVER A HOT STACK OF SHEET MUSIC AND JUST ABOUT BREAK MY VOCAL CHORDS AND ALL YOU SAY IS GOOD? I WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOUR SOUL! YOU HAVE INCURRED THE ALMIGHTY WRATH OF CYRUS, VAMPIRE OF A THOUSAND WRATHS!

It took all three of his vampire friends to restrain the frothing lunatic. Finn was quietly shown the door by Marceline and with a shout over Cyrus' rant, she yelled, "SEE YOU AT JAKE'S PARTY."

Finn half-hearted stepped out of the cave that guarded Marceline's house and though of what to do next. He could visit Princess Bubblegum. Yeah, she could cheer him up. With that, the scarred for life boy left for the Candy Kingdom.

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Author's Notes

So sorry for the delay, everybody. I don't know what happened except time decided to kick into overdrive and I decided to do squat-a. I had to split up the chapter just to meet some sort of deadline that is completely nonexistent. Eventually, I'll finish this story even if it means tearing myself away from Minecraft (curse your addictive ways)! So it's 3:37 AM on the East Coast and I'm writing author's notes

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know I did! Very low-key, staring to like the feel of it, being this is the third year or so my family hasn't gone ballistic with shopping. Though this was the year I went ALL OUT. Three reasons why:  
>1: First Christmas I had a job<br>2: First Christmas I had an ATM card  
>3: I can drive to the mall with no worries now<p>

Definitely got some good gifts. My one friend even got an Adventure Time t-shirt from me. Upon opening it, she proclaimed, "Why are you such a beautiful person?" I don't know, Katie. I just don't know.

Oh, and something else. The song you just read? My own composition! Maybe a bit more fan love in the form of reviews and subscriptions and I could post chords and a YouTube video. Regardless of love amount, I'm still posting.

What else, what else? Oh! In a week, I'm turing 19. Kind of exciting, except 19 and 20 will be like 17. All the responsibility, none of the perks. Ah well, que sera sera.

I swear some plot will show up next chapter. Here's a taste of what you can expect:

Finn and PB discuss some matters, Jake gets his surprise party and Finn must confront a sickening reality.

Next Chapter - Birthdays and Deathdays


	6. The Memories of Love and Moon

Chapter 5: The Memory of Love and Moon

As Jake returned home with his memory filled with the list that Finn gave him, his mind started to wander. _I need that picture of Finn eating salmon but I don't know here we keep it. And__ three sonnets, huh? I think I have two. But three? And where do we keep the leopard? Or was it a puma? What's a puma? So yeah, salmon picture, three sonnets, a leopard, a broken TV, a stick, another stick, and…uh…uhmm…yeah, a stack of pancakes. Mmmmm, pancakes._

Jake entered the treehouse and called out to the third roommate. "Beemo? You here?"  
>"Yes, Jake. I am in the shower."<br>"Oh, okay."

"Since when do you take-?"  
>"I am cleaning the shower."<br>"Ahh."

Jake found his way into the kitchen where he whipped up the pancakes with ease. As he was making the delicious breakfast items, the scent wafted through his nose. His senses were immediately on edge for the deliciousness he had created. There was no other option. He had to eat them and eat them he did. In one swoop of the jaws. the stack vanished like a magician's assistant. Jake had to stretch to take in the amount of food but soon reduced his size, sated and gleeful. _Oh_ _yeah, that's the stuff_.

As Jake rubbed his belly, Beemo made his way into the kitchen, clutching the bathroom supplies. He removed his tiny smock and walked up to Jake. "Jake, where is Finn?"

"He had to go. Don't know what he needed to do." Jake was still rubbing his belly.

"Oh, Jake, I forgot to ask you. Have you seen Dr. Ice Cr-"  
>"Beemo, not so loud! What if Finn was nearby and he heard?"<br>"So it is bad?"  
>"How could I tell him, Beemo? I mean, I'm a dog who's 29 human years and my grandpa, uncle and other uncle all went kapoots at 33. It's a curse, man, and I have to deal with it. So, yeah, Ice Cream said I have it. That gives me just under a year with you guys."<p>

Beemo, despite being electric, looked like he was about to shed a tear. "Jake, I am so sorry."

"No, I'm fine. I'll make the best of what I have. I just don't want to end up like the Ice King."

"What happened to him?"

"He looked bad after we took of him. Real bad. But Doctor Princess was with him so he should be fine,"

Beemo nodded, "Okay, that is good."

"Yeah...Beemo, where do we keep the leopard?"

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Finn arrived at the Candy Kingdom's massive palace doors, which was populated to an extent by the denizens of the town as they went about their business. He could see Peppermint Butler tending to the gardens. The little red-and-white man stood up and noticed the adventurer. "Greetings, Mr. Finn. And how are you today?"

Finn slowed his run into a jot to a walk and faced Peppermint Butler. With a breath, Finn gasped from his speed that had carried him. "I'm -huh- good -hungh-. Where's Princess -hunh- Bubblegum?"

"Oh, the Princess is in her living chambers, just finishing up her whistling practice. You can go in and she will meet you in the throne room,

"Thanks Peppermint."

"Oh, and Finn? Anytime you wish to give me flesh is good."

Finn stopped in his tracks and turned hesistantly towards the small man who wore a small smile. "RIIIIGHT." And with that he dashed away in the castle.

While his flight took him from the various rooms of the large castle, his mind wandered more and more towards Princess Bubblegum. How long had it been since they last met? Maybe it was the winter holiday party, or had he seen her in town? He stopped. He wish he could forget that moment but he did remember the last time he saw her.

It was two fortnights ago. He had just come back from a conquest with Jake and the viking tribe who lived near the mountain. In the spur of the moment, he decided to show Princess Bubblegum an artifact he had discovered. It looked like a wheel but was flat and ridged. Finn could just make out the words "Scratch DJ DJ Mr. Moneyz - The New Boyz in Da Hood Remix 2000". Not knowing what it was, he thought if anyone could solve this, it was Princess Bubblegum. After telling Jake he wanted to visit P.B. Jake headed back to the viking tribe's village for a celebration of the conquest. With that, the human hurried to the castle.

Upon arriving at nighttime, he found the palace gates were locked. _No probs_, thought Finn. _I'll just use the secret entrance. I'll just walk around to the secret en-ter-ance right ovah here. All I have to do is twist the lock and why isn't is here?_

The secret entrance had been covered by rock candy and frosting. Completely impenetrable. Finn tilted his head to see if he had gotten the position wrong. But no, it was completely sealed. For him, this would mean one thing. He would climb. Climb until he reached the chambers. Left over right, right over left. He climbed the walls with the dexterity and agility of a cat. It was something of beauty, really.

A pause to view his surroundings as he relaxed his tense muscles. The moon hung over the Candy Kingdom, a soft reminder that light still existed throughout the darkness. He continued to climb until at last he reached the princess's window. The lock had been rusted recently but Finn still jiggled and messed with it. Enough to make the lock snap in two. On the down side, the snap made such an loud pop that a family of licorice crows stirred from their sleep and cawed quite loudly. Finn, in utter desperation, called a little "Shh" to the avians. They received the message and continued their dreams.

Finn, with record in hand, pushed his way into the bedchamber. The dark pink was illuminated by the naked moon unheeded by the window. It should be noted at this time that Princess Bubblegum is a heavy sleeper. As Finn walked towards her bed, he noticed a odd feature of the princess. The blanket she wore appeared to be very shapely. Almost as if she...

...

_No. She. She isn't._ Finn got closer. _She is!_ Finn decided _maybe_ this wasn't the best idea as he was still trying to get over his love for her. But the curves of the blanket, the shape of the body pressed against it, her face covered in the loosed hair of -

"Princess. You forgot to take your medicine. So we're coming in. Your royal guards. We hope your alone. Because we'll kill any intruders."

The fall should have killed Finn as he dove out the window. His hat proved to be a useful parachute. As he ran from the castle, he could hear the shouts to the tune, "WHO OPENED THE WINDOW? WHERE IS HE? PROTECT THE PRINCESS! BY THE NINE DIVINES, THERE'S A PSYCHOPATH ON THE LOOSE!"

So here was Finn, still thinking about Princess Bubblegum when it was obvious he loved Fire Princess, still had confused feelings about Marceline, wasn't even considering LSP and trying to fend of Tree Trunks. All the while, a lump of Peppermint wanted to eat him. A hero's life. One of confusion.

Finn reached the door of the throne room and entered. Sitting upon the regal throne was the princess, her hair long and pink as usual. Upon seeing the human, she stood up. Speaking in a loud tone, Princess Bubblegum spoke, "Finn, how are you today?" The human shrugged while placing his hand behind his head. "Oh, not much. Certainly not thinking about you...at night...in the moon...I said too much."  
>"what?"<br>"Nothing! But I have a gift for you, Princess." Presenting the record to Bubblegum, he knelt before like a gentleman presenting his ring. "I bring this a gift. And I have no clue what it is. So can you help me find out?" Princess Bubblegum took the record in her hands and looked upon it calmly. "Oh I see. This is pre-Mushroom Era. Grooved, circular, and it's in this foreign language I can't understand. I mean it looks English but how is anyone supposed to read this? I will carefully study this artifact. Thank you, Finn."

"No probs, PB. And I also came here to invite you to Jake's birthday. Are you able to make it?"

"Of course, Finn. Wait...is marceline coming?" The last words drudged out of her mouth like swamp water.

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"There's been a misunderstanding and I won't even try to look at Marceline. So is she coming?"

"Uh-dah-ah-uhm-no."

"Good. See you tonight, Finn!"

_Man, why did I have to lie about this?_

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Author's Notes

Hey there guys. You're not mad about me disappearing off the face of the Earth and not updating, right? Right? Please put down the mob tools.

In all honesty, I apologize. I got caught up in schoolwork, essentially failing Western Music History, and got hooked on Team Fortress 2 (username: lemonwaterice, server: skial). So yeah, I have had my plate full. And once again, I split the chapter up. Instead of one larger chapter, I now have the next being filled to the brim with plot relevance. Because thus far, the only real plot was the conversation between Smith and Genico. So wait a little bit longer. Tomorrow is still spring break and I intend to breeze through the next chapter. Afterwards, there are two more chapters before the next part and all the plot will be revealed. We get to see what happened to the Ice King and Doctor Princess, Finn and Fire Princess action (for those who enjoy the couple), and why PB and Marceline are not speaking. Also, I probably trolled fans of Finn and Princess Bubblegum with the one scene (completely intentional lulz).

So a couple of things. The first, I find it interesting that even though the world's population got blown to smithereens, Jake is still able to play Beethoven, Mozart, and Wagner. How did he learn those songs? Still, it's very awesome that Classical Music still exists. The second, how are they going to bring back Ice King? He basically became a good guy with a small problem. I was expecting him to be awesome in the season finale. Maybe try to rescue PB and sacrifice himself to the flames in order to save her. When are you bring him back, Pendleton? When? Third, did you enjoy Incendium? I wish there was more to it but the fact that they showed Jake vs. Me-Mow afterwards make me fear for a princess's (princess's is spelled correctly. I looked it up) life. Fourth, the official canon of The Stasis Project will occur between Season 3 and Season 4 and will make complete sense in the end, almost as if this could've been a movie in between in the seasons. What I would give for an AT movie. Fifth, SUSAN'S A HUMAN. GET IT OVER WITH, PENDLETON. JUST REVEAL IT ALREADY! Sixth, tell your friends about my series. I could use the publicity! Until then, Cyrus out.


	7. Birthdays and Deathdays

Chapter 6: Birthdays and Deathdays

Leaving the Candy Kingdom, Finn had to rush home. Though he was winded. All this running was good for the buns and thighs and yeah, but there's only so much exercise one kid can handle. So he began to slow into a light jog. On all accounts, this was not the best choice. As he reached a comfortable pace, he could feel a person near him. He turned and drew the blood-red sword, except it was not a foe. Had he been running, he may have been able to avoid her.

"Hey Finn. Howr u duin'?" said the purple cloud. Finn wondered for a split-second if he should distract her something. Instead, he just got more stupid. "Oh, hey Lumpy Space Princess. Tired but pretty good." LSP seemed to forcefully bash her next statement against Finn's skull.

"Yea, whatevurr. Listen, I heard yurr havin' dis awsum pahrteh for Jahke. Ahnd Melissa told meh, and Ih was awll, "What the lump?" Ih di'in geh invited! So I told hur, Ih say, 'Gurl, don' be lumpin'. Ih alwaays geh invited to pahrtie.' So Ih'm heer to tell you that ya'll neh tah invite meh! Ih'll get that pahrteh start-ed!"

"That's nice LSP, but I need to..."

"Nah weh, Finn. Imma comin' to dat parteh and ya'll can't stop meh. Chips an' dip, babeh! Chips an' dip!"

As LSP floated away with an aire of party surrounding her, Finn began once more towards home. The woods, the grass, the leaves. It all seemed like everything was right. And he began to sing.

_This day; this very day  
><em>_If you told me would be bad  
>This day; this very day<br>Somehow I still would not get mad._

_Because everything is turning fine  
>Even though I'm running out of time.<br>Since this is off the cuff, I don't know the next line  
>So I'll just walk<br>__Slower_

_The love I feel is something new  
>Puts a smile right upon my face.<br>Yet still I haven't got a clue  
>I don't feel anything within this race<em>

_Because everything is turning fine  
>Even though I'm running out of time.<br>Since this is off the cuff, I don't know the next line  
><em>_So I'll just walk._

His song carried him home, a lightness in step, a feeling of pure, elated, calm. Walking through the domain, he noticed all these great details. The gold bounty, the sword collection, the kitchen. It just felt great to be home.

He found his compadre at the table. A face of weakness spread across the dog's face, like he had just been called to a principal's office and weakness had settled in his throat and stomach, if he even knew what a school or principal was. The human propped a chair across from him and put his face in palm. "Soooo, watcha doing Jake?"

"Eh, not much. I couldn't find a leopard or puma or whatever."

"It's okay, man. I played that as a ruse." Finn spoke like it was still a secret. Jake propped his head up, flabbibergasted at his pal's notion. "What? Man, why did you ruse me?"

Only Finn knew the answer to which he still would not tell but give a small clue. "It's actually part of a surprise I have for _you_." The dog, wide awake now, wagged his tail in excitement. "Finn, I knew you were awesome but not this awesome! What is it can you tell me please tell me I need to know!"

"Okay, slow down, man. I'll get your surprise to you as soon as possible. I just need to send a prism message."

Finn walked into the other room with Beemo on the couch. "Beemo have you seen the prismgram?" The robot looked at Finn and with a slight smile, "Yes, Finn. I tried to keep it safe my compartment. It is under the couch."

Finn grabbed for the messenger and found it underneath, next to a random sword and a chewed-up piece of gum. Quickly, Finn scrawled out a message that read to the extent of:

_Dear Fire Princess,_

_I wish we could be together, you know, that way. I wish I could feel the warmth of your body against my shoulders but I can't. But remember, I still want to know you. If you want to do something tomorrow, that'd be great. But not tonight. Party for Jake. I need to get ready. Until then, see you._

_Finn of the Water_

The prismgram shot the message out and Finn made sure to change the settings so he would be able hear the reply later. With that, Finn and Jake set out along with Beemo, Jake ever twitching from the excitement.

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The woods looked so mystical and yet so terrifying during the nighttime. The duo slowly made their way to a secret clearing that had specifically planned for this night. Finn had his white sweater on for the chill and Jake, always ever the naked, looked like he was going to pee himself. The awesomeness seemed alway the sooner to being not contained. As they approached the spot, Jake had the greatest realization. "Finn, is the surprise going to be awesome?" "Yes, Jake, it will be the most awesome thing." Then the clearing came into view. Nothing was there. Not a thing. Totally quiet.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE!"

Jake looked surprised but not in an alright way. Finn pushed his way past the dog's shoulder. "Isn't it awesome, Jake? I got everyone you know to celebrate!"

There was Princess Bubblegum, LSP, Peppermint Butler, everyone. Do I have to list them all?

Jake just kind of stared. As the cheering stalled, he injected words into the quiet. "Finn, didn't I tell you? My birthday isn't for another four months."

One could feel the awkward in the atmosphere.

LSP, somehow, saved the day. "Well, I win' hear for nah parteh. So let's jus parteh!"

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Luckily, the party did become a party. The decorations were set out and the fest began. Beemo played songs from his music library and the dancing got jumpin'. The vampires showed up eventually to play their music. The setup took longer than expected, giving PB just enough time to start an argument with Marceline. The party nearly shut down but Finn managed to break it up. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline put their differences aside (the issue from earlier was an apparent stolen tart from the royal court which was later returned) and just enjoyed themselves. LSP brought and ate the chips and dip. The vampires played their music set. A blend of sweat, tears and cheers as the party raged for hours on end. Certainly, it was the party of the year.

It was nearly the twilight hour as Finn and Jake along with Beemo, tired and dragging, pulled themselves from the party. Rain was starting to come down and hard. As they ran for cover, Finn got the weirdest feeling. Was it the rain? Was it the chill? Was it the feeling of dread in and of itself? He couldn't tell. He wouldn't know until he got home.

With the treehouse in sight, the lightning now cracking across the sky like temporary scars, Finn thought he was hallucinating at first. When he got closer though he could tell. Someone was in their home.

He pointed to Jake, covering his mouth so the dog couldn't scream in terror. With a crawl and a draw, sword of demon-blood in hand, he got ready to attack the intruder. Jake, for good measure, stretched his hand into a fist. Beemo crawled into Finn's backpack for protection. Finn gave a quick affirmation, a count of 3, a 1, a 2, a 3.

The two jumped in their home, ready to face their adversary. No one was there. Initially.

As Finn closed the door behind him, thinking nothing of it, lightning dashed towards the treehouse ever more closely. Illuminated was a figure stood towering over the foyer, eyes bloodshot, gaze dead. Jake screamed in terror as the lightning increased, showing the figure running at the two in a mad dash. They ran for their lives but the shadowy figure chased them ever incessantly. Furniture was overturned, glass was shattered. Jake seemed to be hiding from the scene as Finn tried to attack the demon with his sword. The demon used a sword of it's own, swinging with the strength of a trained athlete. The demon blood flew out of Finn's hand as the apparition screamed at the top of it's lungs, "YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT SWORD, YOU COWARD!"

In the midst of the tirade, Finn felt for a lightswitch, shaking gripping his whole body. The lightning showed the figure looming over him, ready to pounce on and eventually kill the human. Finn, in a moment of pure desperation, reached up in the terrible dark and *Click* clicked on the light as to end the nightmare.

It was Doctor Princess.

"Doctor Princess, what was that for? Are you trying to kill us?" Jake screamed from a dresser drawer as he stretched out of it and onto the floor.

"Those are brave words for a couple of people like you."

Finn had to speak. "What are you going on about, Doctor?"

"Really, Finn? Do you? While you were partying and living it up without a care in the world, I was suffering! It's true what Princess Bubblegum says about you. You're just a little boy. A little boy who can't see straight in front of his face! A little boy who has no feelings of compassion! A little boy who doesn't care about a single, lonely person in the world!"

Finn grabbed his sword in defense, bringing it to her neck. "How DARE you! You don't know what I've been through these past few days! I had to say goodbye to a girl I thought I loved, only to find another I REALLY did love but now I can't love her back because it hurts. I found myself writing letters to her every day and, only a few hours ago, finally sent one. So while you think you your special because you help people because they are sick, that doesn't mean you can invade my house, scare my friends, and then treat me like I don't have feelings!" Tears welled in his eyes, a clear sign he was thinking about Fire Princess and this doctor had the nerve to decide she could insult him on people he cared about.

Eyeing the sword of blood, Doctor Princess took one look at Finn and said, "So what happens now, hero? Are you going to kill me like your last combatant?"

Finn gave her a look of confusion and looked at Jake for an answer. He was staring at the doctor, mouth agape. Sullenly, Jake turned to Finn and said in a choked and tired voice, "Finn, don't you get it?"

"That's right, Jake. Tell him. Tell him how he killed the Ice King."

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Author's Notes

Just like that, dramabomb. Many of you probably did see this coming, but I have to say, my writing was certainly improving as I typed. Also, RuTsuna's probable pairing of Ice King/Doctor Princess got shot down and hard. Sorry, but I didn't mean to end it that way for you. That's how I wanted this scene to play out.

I've always pictured Doctor Princess as this yandere/tsundere character that could snap at any moment with tragic consequences. Not sure why but I have always found that the case. Also, more Doctor Princess in Adventure Time episodes, please. She's a really underrated character and in a show like this, it's good to have one deadpan.

I have also figured out where the canon of the story occurs. It occurs some time after "Five Little Graybles" but shortly before "Web Weirdos" which, at this point in time, has not aired. This allows Fire Princess to be a main character. Let me tell you, the canon was hard to pick. Initially, it was after "Marceline's Closet", then "Incendium", then "Hot to the Touch". However, with all the elements in place, I can officially solidify a canon, thus making this story ready to be typed without any changes to add. Now, it comes down to my fingers.

I also passed a big milestone with this chapter. I've hit the 10,000 word mark which I can be proud of if I do say so myself.

So, big AT news. The new episodes coming out look insanely cool. One features Turk from Scrubs and Susie from Curb Your Enthusiasm as husband and wife spiders. I myself haven't seen these shows but fans will be excited. Another, perhaps the most well known upcoming episode, features Marceline and her dad in the Nightosphere which Pendleton says will be "one of the coolest depictions of Hell on TV". This episode will be a two-parter so Marceline fans will have plenty to look forward to. The second episode's title actually suggests Marceline's return to evil. How cool will that be? Well, not cool for Finn and Jake, but, you know. Plus, the season finale. Guess who's back, back, back again, gain, gain? The. Lich. King. Oh, my glob. Cancel everything you have for Monday nights. Adventure Time will be taking it to new heights.

Thanks to Cyrus Campbell, you too can play the Adventure Time Drinking Game at tvtropes under Drinking Game/Adventure Time! WARNING: Cyrus Campbell states that anyone under the age of 21 should not attempt this game with alcoholic drinks. However, getting a couple friends together, using water, and seeing who has the strongest bladder is perfectly acceptable.

Also, "Five Little Graybles" had Emo Phillips in it. Enough said. Until then, Cyrus out.


	8. The Man Who Lived Two Lives

Chapter 8: The Man Who Lived Two Lives

The blood that sopped from the Ice King's neck seemed to etch the life, the years spent on this land, straight into it's core. The life and history of this man drained away as his many companions and a lone soul watched, trying to aid him. Tiring from the loss of strength, the Ice King began to lock up, his movement now reserved to blood clotted coughs. With every gasp, every choke, he died more and more.

"Hang on sir. I'm trying as hard as I can. You there, penguin. Bring me all the medical supplies you have. You there, other penguin. Hold his head _stiller_, please. Sir, just hang on a little longer. You can beat this."

The grunts came slower and lower as the Ice King began to close his eyes. Doctor Princess lightly tapped him awake. "You need to stay awake, Ice King. Thank you for the bandages, penguin."

"gunta."

"What?"

"hi nay i gunta."

"...Thank you, Gunther."

Slowly, the wound began to look better. Doctor Princess was going to save this man. If it took all of her strength, so be it. If she be ridiculed for helping him, so be it. _Nothing_ would stop her.

The blood stopped flowing and appeared to be under control. Doctor Princess breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to take a quick break when she was grabbed from her arm and pulled back. Though it wasn't the Ice King. It was Gunther. Though weak from pain, Gunther motioned to the Ice King, meaning the patient needed to say something.

His voice returning, he took a deep sigh and began again to tell his tale.

"It all started when I was a young lad. No older than you look, my dear. To think I had my life ahead of me. A looker for the past, a finder of the future. I even found her. She was truly the one and I drove her away with this crown. I can't bear to think she is still dead. That is why I live this way. I find it unbearable to go on without my princess still and I search for her. So please, if you can find it in your heart to take my crown and if you find her, please give this to her. Tell her Simon is well and alive but do not look for him. His wellbeing is of another kind."

Here, he began to cough again and the crown rolled from his head, as if it lived and obeyed it's master's command. Gunther grabbed it from the ground and hugged it. Without a quack he gave the headpiece to the now teary eyed doctor.

"Also, the boy that slew me. I can not think of a better person to have ended the suffering than the last human. If you can protect him doctor, I would be so very happy. Tell him of the man he so mercifully ended."

"And now, without further ado, lady and gentlemen, I shall take leave of this land. You shall take leave of this room. When you return, it shall be to mourn me."

"But sir, please try to understand!"

"Hotheadedness. It's what killed me and it is what shall prolong the inevitable. Count this not as a loss, my dear. I simply have turned the final page. I am exiting from the tower and experiencing the world surrounding it. So goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. And may I be a gentleman at the last and say my dear doctor, you are so very beautiful."

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_"No, sir... Yes, I have the crown with me. I'll meet you tomorrow to discuss plans with the museum. I have to go surprise Betty. It's our anniversary tonight... Yes, two years since I saw her at the tavern. I'm ring-shopping as we speak... No, I even told her parents. Everyone except her really knows...Thank you again...Two months vacation! Thank you sir! You won't regret it and tell those Scandinavians Simon says _takk igjen_...Okay, goodbye and thank you again!" "Hello my little sweetpea! I'm back from my intrepid excursions. *kiss* You won't believe what I've found..."_

_"There's my darling now...It was rough not seeing you but I thought of you every day, Mary. Hey Dad, good to see you...I missed you too. Oh, is this who I think it is? Come here, boy! How's Red been treating you lately...Good to know. Hey listen, can I pack my duffel in the back? I'm sure Mom wants to see me...I still can't believe the war's over..."_

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The man woke up. He was naked in a cold room, a layer of glass shielding him. He banged and rapped on the glass, yelling to be let out. With a pop and hiss, the man was freed from his cell and thrown some clothes. He shifted his gaze like a young babe born merely hours ago. The technology was fantastic, beeps and bops from every corner. From the center he saw light. He shifted his old bones with cracks aplenty. The room now in full focus, the man grabbed his clothes and began to dress himself. They were quite comfortable and made the room feel slightly homier. He tested his joints once more and began to climb from his chamber. It was quite small and just barely fit him. Testing his footing, swaying back and forth. He stood erect and with stability. Then he heard a voice from the light.

"We've been expecting you but not as soon as now."

Trusting his frayed instincts for some reason, the man stepped forward. The cold linoleum sprayed goosebumps upon his body but he sojourned into the crack of light.

Arriving at the source, the man looked up to see labcoats. With quiet thought, he licked his lips. He let out a breath and blinked once or twice. He couldn't tell as each movement seemed to go for hours. Then, he ever so quietly coughed and whispered.

"Where's Mary?"


End file.
